Wow… So he’s a snitch who takes bribes!? If we didn’t already think Al Sharpton was shady enough, the NY Post dropped a detailed report over the weekend that explains how he gets money for NOT throwing cororations under the bust for racism: For more than a decade, corporations have shelled out thousands of dollars in donations and consulting fees to Sharpton’s National Action Network. What they get in return is the reverend’s supposed sway in the black community or, more often, his silence. Sony Pictures co-chair Amy Pascal met with the activist preacher after leaked emails showed her making racially charged comments about President Obama. Pascal was under siege after a suspected North Korean cyberattack pressured the studio to cancel its release of “The Interview,” which depicts the assassination of dictator Kim Jong-un. No payments to NAN have been announced, but Sharpton and Pascal agreed to form a “working group” to focus on racial bias in Hollywood. Sharpton notably did not publicly assert his support for Pascal after the meeting — what observers say seems like a typical Sharpton “shakedown” in the making. Pay him in cash or power, critics say, and you buy his support or silence. “Al Sharpton has enriched himself and NAN for years by threatening companies with bad publicity if they didn’t come to terms with him. Put simply, Sharpton specializes in shakedowns,” said Ken Boehm, chairman of the National Legal & Policy Center, a Virginia-based watchdog group that has produced a book on Sharpton. And Sharpton, who now boasts a close relationship with Obama and Mayor Bill de Blasio, is in a stronger negotiating position than ever. “Once Sharpton’s on board, he plays the race card all the way through,” said a source who has worked with the Harlem preacher. “He just keeps asking for more and more money.” We figured he was up to something but this just seems so greedy and unjust. We just hope some of that fortune being funneled into Nationa Action Network actually goes toward helping the companies that need and want them. Here’s more details: Sharpton raised $1 million for NAN at his 60th birthday bash in October, with donations rolling in from unions and a corporate roster of contributors including AT&T, McDonald’s, Verizon and Walmart. Companies have long gotten in line to pay Sharpton. Macy’s and Pfizer have forked over thousands to NAN, as have General Motors, American Honda and Chrysler. NAN had repeatedly and without success asked GM for donations for six years beginning in August 2000, a GM spokesman told The Post. Then, in 2006, Sharpton threatened a boycott of GM over the planned closing of an African-American-owned dealership in The Bronx. He picketed outside GM’s Fifth Avenue headquarters. GM wrote checks to NAN for $5,000 in 2007 and another $5,000 in 2008. Sharpton targeted American Honda in 2003 for not hiring enough African-Americans in management positions. “We support those that support us,” Sharpton wrote to the company. “We cannot be silent while African-Americans spend hard-earned dollars with a company that does not hire, promote or do business with us in a statistically significant manner.” Two months later, car company leaders met with Sharpton, and Honda began to sponsor NAN’s events. The protests stopped. Sharpton landed a gig as a $25,000-a-year adviser to Pepsi after he threatened a consumer boycott of the soda company in 1998, saying its ads did not portray African-Americans. He held the position until 2007. Do you think what Sharpton is doing is wrong or is it how business is done these days? WENN
Detroit Official Shut Off Delinquent Water Accounts Totaling $75 Million via Think Progress As the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department moves to shut off water to thousands of residents who are delinquent on their bills, a coalition of activists is appealing to the United Nations High Commission for Human Rights to intervene on behalf of the bankrupt city’s most vulnerable citizens. Their report, filed Wednesday with the UN’s Special Rapporteur on the Human Right to Safe Drinking Water and Sanitation, alleges that the DWSD crackdown is part of an effort “to sweeten the pot for a private investor” to take over the city’s heavily-indebted water and sewer system as part of Detroit’s broader bankruptcy proceedings. One of the activist groups behind the report, the Detroit People’s Water Board, notes that city residents have seen water rates more than double over the past decade at the same time that the city’s poverty rate rose to nearly 40 percent, putting the cost of basic running water beyond reach for tens of thousands of households. Earlier this week, city lawmakers voted to raise water rates by a further 8.7 percent. Almost exactly 50 percent of the Detroit Water and Sewerage Department’s 323,900 total accounts were delinquent as of March, according to the Detroit News (via Nexis), with a combined $175 million in unpaid water bills outstanding. The department announced at that time that it would begin an aggressive campaign of water shutoffs, and a DWSD spokesman said that it has shut off water to nearly 7,000 separate clients since the beginning of April. DWSD mailed warnings about the shutoffs in March, but the People’s Water Board report says that some residents it interviewed either never received a warning notice or had their water shut off before the payment deadline printed in the notices had passed. One key piece of the activists’ complaint has to do with allegedly disparate treatment of residential and commercial clients by the DWSD. The People’s Water Board claims that delinquent business entities “have not been targeted in the same way as residential users,” a claim the department strongly disputes. “There are no sacred cows. We aren’t discriminating in terms of individuals or businesses,” DWSD spokesman Bill Johnson said in an interview. “Last month we shut off about 3,600 accounts, both businesses and residential. Everybody is getting cut off who is $150 or 60 days in arrears. That is our policy and we’re ramping up our enforcement of that policy.” The department has not yet had time to break out the data on water shutoffs by client category, Johnson said, but he hopes to be able to report exact figures on the number of business clients who have lost water access soon. The DWSD’s roughly $5 billion in debts have turned out to be the most difficult piece of Detroit’s bankruptcy, after initially seeming to be on track for a rapid resolution. Neighboring counties have balked at absorbing the city system into a regional water and sewer authority, and subsequent plans to privatize the city’s water services have been criticized as too rapid, too costly, and too damaging to residents’ quality of life. The system’s massive backlog of delinquent bills makes it harder to convince anyone, whether private company or public authority, to shoulder the DWSD’s obligations. But if the water shutoffs were aimed at making the department look like a shinier prize in bankruptcy negotiations, they would likely be targeted at corporate clients directly, for the same reason that Depression-era gangsters robbed banks: that’s where the money is. Shutterstock
MTV and Logo will take you inside the world of four transgender youths this fall in “Trans Teen,” a one-hour documentary hosted by “Orange is the New Black” star Laverne Cox. See What Activist/Actress Laverne Cox Has To Say About “Trans Teen.” The special will follow the four young people, ages 14-24, who, until recently,… Read more
Who leads Seventeen’s list of 17 most powerful female stars under 21? According to the magazine, Selena Gomez a.k.a. “The Mogul” tops the countdown. A worthy winner. She is their cover girl this month after all. But there are 16 other gorgeous and talented gals who made the cut. Check out who else has got the power in the slideshow below: 17 Most Powerful Stars Under 21 Open Slideshow 1. Selena Gomez: The Mogul Fashion icon, clothing designer, superstar singer, social media powerhouse — Selena’s entering mogul territory. View As List 1. Selena Gomez: The Mogul Fashion icon, clothing designer, superstar singer, social media powerhouse — Selena’s entering mogul territory. 2. Demi Lovato: The Cool Chick The cool best friend we all wish we had… and an awesome singer to boot! 3. Miley Cyrus: The Rebel Miley Cyrus was EVERYWHERE this past year. Everywhere. Love her or leave her, she’s making powerful waves. 4. Victoria Justice: The Philanthropist This young star is making a difference. 5. Chloe Moretz: The Bodyguard Chloe, one of Hollywood’s hottest young actresses, has discussed the bullying her two gay brothers dealt with growing up. 6. Karlie Kloss: The Model on a Mission Karlie’s not just another gorgeous face. Karlie’s Kookies, her cookie line, supports FEED’s mission to feed the hungry. 7. Gabby Douglas: The Champion Olympian and best selling author? Go, Gabby! 8. Lorde: The Badass All hail Lorde, the coolest queen bee in music. 9. Cara Delevingne: The Free Spirit Supermodel Cara’s stand-out features and fun personality make for a winning combo. 10. Ariana Grande: The Social Superstar A voice like Mariah’s and hit show? Ariana is definitely a powerful young star. 11. Kate Upton: The Cover Girl Everyone’s favorite bombshell has graced countless covers this past year. 12. Ariel Winter: The Brave One Ariel is one of the best parts of Modern Family, and she dealt with public family issues with grace. 13. Abigail Breslin: The Veteran This child star turned teen acting dynamo can hold her own next to Meryl Streep and Julia Roberts! 14. Carly Rose Sonenclar: The Voice The X-Factor finalist has vocals and heart. 15. Ashley Rickards: The Activist This Awkward star was a participant in the Live Below the Line Campaign. 16. Zendaya Coleman: The Triple Threat Zendaya can dance (she rocked DWTS), sing, and act. 17. Bridgit Mendler: The Rising Star The multi-talented Good Luck Charlie beauty is making a household name for herself. Other leading ladies include chart topper Lorde, dancing queen Zendaya Coleman, controversial headline maker Miley Cyrus and many, many more. Any glaring omissions stand out to you? Let us who you think should be on this!
Bad azz kids. 12-Year-Old Boy Hacks Government Websites For Video Games Where were the parents? According to The Toronto Sun: A 12-year-old Quebec boy is responsible for hacking several government and police websites during the student uprising in spring 2012, creating computer havoc and causing $60,000 damage, court heard Thursday. Some sites were out of service for up to two days and the boy did it in the name of the activist/hacktivist group Anonymous. The Grade 5 student from the Montreal suburb of Notre-Dame- de-Grâce, whose actions were not politically motivated, traded pirated information to Anonymous for video games, court was told. The boy appeared in youth court Thursday dressed in his school uniform and accompanied by his father. He pleaded guilty to three charges related to the hacking of the websites, including those of Montreal police, the Quebec Institute of Public Health, Chilean government and some non-public sites. Police estimate damage to the sites at $60,000 but a more detailed report will be produced in court when the boy is sentenced next month. The little hacker, whose name can’t be published and is said to have been involved with computers since the age of nine, contributed to the crash of some sites and accessed information belonging to users and administrators. He had even issued a warning to others: “It’s easy to hack but do not go there too much, they will track you down.” Court heard the boy used three different computer attacks, one which resulted in a denial of service to those trying to access the websites and flooded servers, making them ineffective. In another method he would alter information and make it appear as the homepage. His third tactic involved exploiting security holes in order to access database servers. “And he told others how to do it,” a police expert testified in Montreal on Thursday. While others were arrested in the scheme, it was the boy who opened the door to the website attacks, court heard. “He saw it as a challenge, he was only 12 years old,” his lawyer said. “There was no political purpose.” He’ll be playing video games in jail now. Shutterstock
Bad azz kids. 12-Year-Old Boy Hacks Government Websites For Video Games Where were the parents? According to The Toronto Sun: A 12-year-old Quebec boy is responsible for hacking several government and police websites during the student uprising in spring 2012, creating computer havoc and causing $60,000 damage, court heard Thursday. Some sites were out of service for up to two days and the boy did it in the name of the activist/hacktivist group Anonymous. The Grade 5 student from the Montreal suburb of Notre-Dame- de-Grâce, whose actions were not politically motivated, traded pirated information to Anonymous for video games, court was told. The boy appeared in youth court Thursday dressed in his school uniform and accompanied by his father. He pleaded guilty to three charges related to the hacking of the websites, including those of Montreal police, the Quebec Institute of Public Health, Chilean government and some non-public sites. Police estimate damage to the sites at $60,000 but a more detailed report will be produced in court when the boy is sentenced next month. The little hacker, whose name can’t be published and is said to have been involved with computers since the age of nine, contributed to the crash of some sites and accessed information belonging to users and administrators. He had even issued a warning to others: “It’s easy to hack but do not go there too much, they will track you down.” Court heard the boy used three different computer attacks, one which resulted in a denial of service to those trying to access the websites and flooded servers, making them ineffective. In another method he would alter information and make it appear as the homepage. His third tactic involved exploiting security holes in order to access database servers. “And he told others how to do it,” a police expert testified in Montreal on Thursday. While others were arrested in the scheme, it was the boy who opened the door to the website attacks, court heard. “He saw it as a challenge, he was only 12 years old,” his lawyer said. “There was no political purpose.” He’ll be playing video games in jail now. Shutterstock
Really??? What’s wrong with at Glock? Female Pro-Gun Activist Say Mothers Need Assault Weapons To Protect Children Via HuffingtonPost Lawyer and gun rights supporter activist Gayle Trotter gave vivid testimony to the Senate Judiciary Committee at a Wednesday hearing on gun violence. Trotter, a senior fellow at the conservative Independent Women’s Forum, argued that a proposed ban on assault weapons would “disarm” vulnerable women and “put them at a severe disadvantage” in fights with multiple criminals. Trotter painted a picture of mothers under assault in their homes, and when Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-R.I.) questioned the details of one example she offered, she told the lawmaker he didn’t understand the issue. “You are a large man, tall man, a tall man,” Trotter said to laughter from the audience. “You are not a young mother who has a young child with her and … you cannot understand. You are not a woman stuck in her house, not able to defend her children, not able to leave her child, not able to go seek safety, on the phone with 911,” Trotter said. And that woman, “she’s not used to being in a firefight.” Despite arguing for serious firepower, Trotter said later the most important thing about assault weapons for women’s defense is the way the guns look. “An assault weapon in the hands of a young woman defending her babies in her home becomes a defense weapon,” said Trotter, a mother of six. “And the peace of mind she has … knowing she has a scary-looking gun gives her more courage when she’s fighting hardened violent criminals.” Sorry lady, but we just can’t buy that you will be unable to protect your children with a 10-shot pistol as opposed to an AK-47. Are any of you ladies offended at how helpless this broad portrays you to be? Image via Shutterstock
Richard Grenell, Mitt Romney’s gay spokesperson who resigned after pressure from conservatives, actually resigned because of Bryan Fischer, according to Fischer. Broadcasting platform : YouTube Source : The New Civil Rights Movement Discovery Date : 01/05/2012 22:12 Number of articles : 3
Best Cities To Be Single If you’re single and looking to get boo’d up, then these 10 cities, according to Yahoo are the places you want to end up. With all the cities and states in the country for you to find that true love (see: people to bone), these places take the cake. Now hurry up and UHaul it over there before all the a$$ gets taken!
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